The College of Professional and Continuing Education will be closed on Friday, August 4 from 11:00am through the rest of the day for an all-staff meeting.
Please note: Applicants must be California residents and have graduated from an Accredited Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program (or equivalent accredited Associate Degree program); have passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN); and hold a currently active, unencumbered, unrestricted, and unlimited California Registered Nurse (RN) license.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees provide Registered Nurses (RN) with the education needed to improve patient and organizational outcomes, apply evidence into practice, and take on additional responsibilities including supervising others, making emergency decisions without a doctor’s presence, and working in specialized departments. A BSN also allows nurses to meet standards set by the National Association of School Nurses and the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing Initiative and will allow RNs to pursue advanced degrees in Nursing. According to a report in Nurse Journal, the demand for a BSN degree continues to increase along with a nursing shortage in California and other states, while PayScale reports that the salary for nurses with BSN degrees ranks significantly higher than for those with only associate degrees. This demand is further fueled by the increasing number of hospitals seeking the Magnet designation, which identifies BSN preparation as foundational, and relies on nurses' professional development as one of its essential elements.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Online RN to BSN program at CSULB provides a competitive degree for working nurses in California who already have an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) with 70 lower-division units completed. This undergraduate degree can be completed either part-time in approximately 18 months or full-time within one year. The program provides clinical reasoning and leadership skills to thrive and advance in healthcare careers. The curriculum is designed to explore cultural, political, and socioeconomic issues that affect patient care delivery, including physical assessment skills, knowledge of pathophysiology, applying evidence-based research, and a foundation for improving the quality of healthcare systems and processes.
The program’s expert faculty include professional clinicians and instructors from CSULB’s School of Nursing, which is currently ranked the #1 Best Bachelor Degree in Nursing Program in California as well as the #5 Best Bachelor Degree in Nursing Program in the U.S. (RNCareers.org). Online classes offer maximum flexibility for working nurses, enabling them upon graduation to pursue further education and/or professional opportunities in nursing administration, management, and education in a variety of settings.
Please Note:
Students enrolled in this program are eligible for some forms of financial aid, with the exception of the State University Grant (SUG) and Cal Vet College Fee Waiver.
GI Bill benefits can be used for this program. Click here to learn more about eligibility, rates, and other details.
California Registered Nurses with an ADN degree.
Nurses who have completed an associate degree and want to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Nurses who want to expand their professional nursing knowledge.
Online learning environment that allows maximum flexibility for working nurses.
Learn alongside a network of fellow motivated RNs across California
Degree can be completed either part-time in approximately 18 months or full-time within one year.
The program’s Advisory Board includes members of local community healthcare agencies such as Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Miller Children’s Hospital, Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital, and Long Beach VA Medical Center.
New skillsets that open pathways to specialized careers.
Human responses to stress and illness that affect nursing practices.
Skills in leadership, management, critical thinking, and analytical reasoning.
How to integrate perspectives from different members of healthcare teams into successful patient care outcomes.
Finance policies developed by governmental and insurance agencies.
Approaches to community health nursing and caring for groups, families, and populations.
Application of evidence-based research and quality improvement for healthcare processes.
Pathophysiology for nurses
Healthcare assessment and delivery systems
Holistic therapies
Patient care technology
Safety and quality assurance
Emergency management
Completion of 29 program-specific units.
Satisfaction of all university graduation requirements including the 120 minimum credit hour requirements within specified general education categories (your academic advisor will assist you in determining which courses are required).
Program Outline
Effective Fall 2025, CSULB Requires BSN Students to complete 120 units for a degree, with up to 90 units eligible for transfer. There are two categories of required components of study:
Required nursing courses: There are seven required nursing courses (26 credits) that all students must complete at CSULB. Students can waive NRSG 460 if they have completed a Research course at another University. One course (Population Health) requires a preceptor experience with 90 hours at a site chosen/facilitated by the student and approved by the School of Nursing.
General education courses: CSULB and other universities require all bachelor’s degree students to obtain a total of 120 credits within specific general education categories. Any additional courses needed in this category will be identified during your academic advising appointment.
NRSG 309 - Introduction to Professional Practice (3 Units) *
NRSG 314 - Health Assessment for Registered Nurses (3 Units)
NRSG 406 - Population Health for Registered Nurses (5 Units) **
NRSG 460 - Research & Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing (3 Units)
NRSG 462 - Healthcare Systems Management and Nursing (3 Units)
NRSG 464 - Current Issues in Nursing (3 Units)
NRSG 468 - Bridging Nursing Education and Practice (3 Units)
* This is the first course in the sequence.
** This is a clinical course and should be taken towards the end of the program.
All others can be taken in any order that works in your schedule and when available.
Semester One
Course
Units
NRSG 306
3
NRSG 309
3
NRSG 314
3
Total Units
9
Semester Two
Course
Units
NRSG 460
3
NRSG 462
3
NRSG 464
3
Total Units
9
Semester Three
Course
Units
NRSG 406
5***
NRSG 468
3
Gen. Ed. Requirement
3-4
Total Units
11-12
Semester One
Course
Units
NRSG 306
3
NRSG 309
3
Total Units
6
Semester Two
Course
Units
NRSG 314
3
NRSG 460
3
Total Units
6
Semester Three
Course
Units
NRSG 462
3
Gen. Ed. Requirement
3-4
Total Units
6-7
Semester Four
Course
Units
NRSG 406
5***
Total Units
5
Semester Five
Course
Units
NRSG 464
3
NRSG 468
3
Total Units
6
*** Students must be officially admitted to the School of Nursing before enrolling in Nursing (NRSG prefix) courses. Once admitted to the School of Nursing, students may choose to attend full or part-time. Students may be required to take additional courses to meet the general education requirements of the university if not previously taken.
Information Sessions
Potential students interested in learning more about this program are encouraged to attend a free information session. The information sessions include short presentations by a program representative, designed to provide you with an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the program's benefits.
Upcoming online Information Sessions are listed below when they are available. Choose a date and click the link to register for that Zoom meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details about joining the meeting.
If no sessions are listed below, then none are currently available. Please check this page at a later date to view updated sessions.
Registered Nurse (RN) applicants are required to apply for admission to the University and fulfill the following:
Be a California resident who holds an active, unencumbered, unrestricted current RN license, or be eligible for licensure in the state of California by the time classes begin;
Already graduated from an accredited Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, or evaluation of diploma program for equivalency by an Accredited Associate Degree program (an Associate Degree in a non-nursing major will not meet this requirement);
Have 56 to 70 transferable units including Critical Thinking, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Statistics and Chemistry;
Have a minimum GPA of 2.75 in all community college courses required for the Associate Degree in Nursing;
Meet these major-specific degree requirements:
BIOL 207: Human Physiology Lecture & Lab
BIOL 208: Human Anatomy Lecture & Lab
BIOL 201: Microbiology Lecture & Lab (General Microbiology for Health Professionals)
CHEM: Any Chemistry course, except a Pre-Chemistry course.
Complete one of the following:
STAT 108: Statistics for Everyday Life
HDEV 190: Elementary Statistics in Social and Behavioral Sciences
PSY 110: Introductory Statistics
SOC 170: Elementary Statistics
STAT 118: Introductory Business Statistics
6. Maintain malpractice and health insurance throughout clinical coursework and submit to a criminal background check; 7. Fulfill the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) either prior to admission or within the first semester in the program.
How to Apply
Admission to the RN to BSN degree program requires approval by the University and the program's Undergraduate Applicant Review Committee. Please follow all directions closely.
Admission Criteria, Documentation, and Information
To be admitted to the program, you must apply for admission using the California State University admissions portal called Cal State Apply. By applying online, you can start, stop, and save your application information throughout the process. You will need the name of previous college(s), dates attended, units completed, major, and GPA.
In total, you will need to fill out two admission forms for your application to be complete:
Cal State Apply - must be submitted by April 1, 2026*
School of Nursing RN-BSN Online Application - must be submitted by April 1, 2026*
*If you are applying as a second bachelor’s degree student, the application deadline is May 19, 2026.
Note the following steps to begin the application process:
Select a term to apply for (Spring or Fall)
Sign in or create a Cal State Apply account
Scroll down to the section entitled “Long Beach Extension.” Please do not use the search bar
Select the program "Nursing - Online RN to BSN" (it will show a green check mark to indicate that you have chosen the correct program)
Use the dashboard to continue with your application for admission to the program
You will be asked to provide the following:
Personal Information
Academic History
Supporting Information
Program Materials
When you are ready to apply, please follow the following steps:
Note: CSULB uses email as the official means of communication, so applicants are required to maintain a current email address on file with the university and check their email regularly. You may update your email address or check the status of your admission application by visiting the Applicant Self-Service webpage. The department will review completed applications beginning on May 19, 2026. Admission decisions will be available by mid-June. Students have until July 15, 2026 to accept their offer of admission.
Application Periods The RN to BSN program is currently admitting students for the Spring semester. Applications are open from August 1 to September 30, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tuition is $600 per unit, totaling $15,600 for the 26-unit program.
Additional costs may apply if extra credits are needed to meet the university’s 120-credit graduation requirement.
Applications for the Online RN-BSN program are submitted through Cal State Apply, California State University's online platform designed to make the application process quick and easy. Be sure to meet all deadlines and have your official transcripts ordered. For a step-by-step guide, please visit our How to Apply page.
To apply, do not use the search feature on Cal State Apply. Instead, scroll down manually until you find “Long Beach Extension.”
Then, click the “+” icon to select “Nursing RN to BSN – Self Support Online” as your program of choice.
Applicants must have a minimum 2.75 GPA from previous college coursework completed at a regionally and nationally accredited institution. If you do not meet this requirement, you may choose to take additional undergraduate courses to raise your GPA and reapply in a future semester.
This upper-division program is specifically designed for working nurses who have graduated from a regionally and nationally accredited institution, hold a current California RN license, and are eligible to take the NCLEX examination for California licensure.
Additional prerequisites — such as Chemistry and Statistics — will need to be discussed.
The application deadline is September 30, 2025 for Spring 2026 and April 1, 2026 for Fall 2026. Supplemental materials are due three weeks after each deadline.
If you are unable to begin the program as planned, you will need to reapply to the next RN to BSN cohort in the following semester
Students in this program may qualify for financial aid. Visit the Financial Aid and Scholarships page for more information.
The State University Grant (SUG) and Cal Vet College Fee Waiver are not applicable.
GI Bill benefits can be used. Visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' GI Bill page to learn more about eligibility, rates, and other details.
Applicants with an associate degree in nursing from a regionally and nationally accredited institution are eligible to apply for the program. Students can also have another bachelor’s degree in a different field.
The RN to BSN program offers flexible scheduling—allowing part-time students to finish in about 18 months and full-time students in one year. Graduates are eligible for a public health nursing certificate, career advancement, and graduate studies in advanced practice nursing.
No, this program is not available to F-1 international students.
Yes, the program is designed for working professionals, offering maximum flexibility with online, asynchronous courses (except for clinicals). The program can be completed on a full-time or part-time schedule.
Each course is structured for 8-week sessions. There are 2 sessions per Fall and Spring semester, with 1 session during the summer. Each course delivers didactic content through an asynchronous format.
Clinical hours are completed in person at designated sites, scheduled according to each site's availability.
Students enrolled in six credits (1 course per session) per term should anticipate a minimum workload of 18 hours per week.
The program is designed for students to follow a prescribed course sequence within a cohort, with most students taking the same courses in the same order. However, students may request a one-semester leave of absence if needed and rejoin the next available cohort upon return.
Full-time students can complete the program in approximately one year, while part-time students may finish in about 24 months. Courses are offered in two continuous 8-week terms during the Fall and Spring semesters, and one 8-week term in the Summer. Additional time may be required to complete the full 120-credit graduation requirement, including general education coursework.
To earn a BSN, students must complete 120 total credits, which include required nursing courses and a broad range of general education coursework in areas such as arts, humanities, social sciences, writing, mathematics, and diversity. Upon admission to CSULB, an academic advisor will help determine which courses are needed to fulfill these degree requirements.
Students must have access to a computer or tablet equipped with a camera and microphone, along with a reliable internet connection. Students need to have a basic understanding of and access to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
Nurses with a BSN can pursue careers in administration, school health, legal consulting, and informatics, as well as traditional roles in hospitals, clinics, and physician offices. The degree also opens pathways to graduate education for advanced practice roles such as nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse anesthetist.
Step-Up Bridge Program
This online program for students currently enrolled in an Associate Degree in Nursing program offers non-clinical Bachelor of Science in Nursing courses that can be transferred to CSULB'sRN to BSN program.
Concurrent Enrollment Program
Through our Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) with Long Beach City College (LBCC), eligible ADN students can begin taking BSN coursework with CSULB. When you apply to the LBCC ADN program, you may choose the CSULB CEP track. This will allow you the opportunity to apply to the CEP track. CSULB courses begin the first semester of your ADN program. Upon graduation with your ADN degree, you will have one to two semesters left to complete your BSN. You will take one CSULB course per semester (including Summer).
Please note: International students on an F-1 Visa are not eligible for the Concurrent Enrollment Program.
